orion starblast 4.5 astro reflector telescope tripod

To move the telescope for side-to-side movement, the base swivels in place. The tube clamp connects to the base and tension between the tube and the base is adjusted via the altitude tension knob that allows up/down movement. The tube is held within a clamp that has a knob and allows the tube to rotate to find a comfortable position for your eye to reach the eyepiece. The StarBlast comes with a tabletop mount that is exactly like a typical Dobsonian tabletop mount. There is some coma present around the edges of the field of view that can be distracting, but it’s not excessive to the point that it would affect your viewing experience. It’s an aberration that produces blurriness and the inability to focus an image that is often a shortcoming of budget, short-tube Newtonians. To see a parabolic mirror in an affordable telescope of this size should be a very appreciated feature as it helps to correct for spherical aberration. The primary mirror has a parabolic shape. It holds collimation well largely since it’s a smaller and lighter mirror, so it’s unlikely to get knocked out of alignment often. What’s important about a Newtonian is if the mirrors are collimatable, and fortunately, both the primary and secondary mirrors in the StarBlast 4.5 are. Using mirrors also help with color fidelity as wavelengths do not split, so they tend to have better correction for chromatic aberration versus a refracting telescope. As a Newtonian, it has mirrors that uses light reflection to reach the eyepiece.

54.75 in.The StarBlast, for as cheap as it is, is a well-built telescope. Computerized compatibility - Not compatible.Motor drive compatibility - Clock drive sold separately.Astro-imaging capability - Lunar & planetary.Mirror coatings/over-coatings - Aluminum & Silicon Dioxide.Secondary mirror obstruction by area - 9%.Secondary mirror obstruction - by diameter 30%.Highest theoretical magnification - 228x.Magnification with included eyepieces - 30x, 75x.The adjustable-height aluminum tripod allows you to set the StarBlast 4.5 Equatorial Reflector up for comfortable views, while remaining lightweight so the entire assembled telescope is easy to transport to and from your favorite skywatching location. You can even add an optional electronic motor drive (sold separately) to the EQ-1 equatorial mount so it can track objects automatically once you’ve centered the object in the telescope eyepiece. Thanks to this design, it’s easy for anyone to manually track a celestial object using slow-motion control cables. The EQ-1, like all equatorial telescope mounts, orients the attached StarBlast 4.5” reflector telescope on two axes of motion (right ascension and declination), allowing you to easily track celestial objects as they appear to move across the night sky. With the included Orion EQ-1 equatorial telescope mount, you will be able to keep your target object centered in the telescope eyepiece with only an occasional tweak of one slow-motion cable. With the EZ Finder II reflex sight, starhopping around the sky is a breeze! The EZ Finder II projects a small red-dot onto a viewing window so all you have to do is move the telescope until the red-dot is aimed at the area of sky you wish to view through the telescope. Once you’ve found an object you’d like to inspect more closely, swap out the 15mm Expanse with the 6mm eyepiece and enjoy a significantly more powerful view.Īn included Orion EZ Finder II reflex sight makes it easy to effectively aim the StarBlast 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope anywhere in the night sky. The 15mm is a great eyepiece to begin observing sessions with, since it provides a large window of night sky for you to view. The included 15mm Expanse telescope eyepiece provides 30x power magnification, while the 6mm Expanse eyepiece bumps up the power all the way to 75x magnification. This tripod-mounted reflector offers an even more pronounced wide-field viewing experience compared to its tabletop counterpart with upgraded eyepieces including a 15mm and 6mm - which have a large 66° apparent field of view. The 4.5” aperture reflector telescope’s short focal length serves up a generous chunk of sky in the eyepiece. It combines the much-heralded Orion StarBlast 4.5” wide-field (f/4.0) parabolic reflector optics with our sturdy EQ-1 equatorial tracking mount and adjustable-height tripod.

Our compact, performance-packed StarBlast 4.5 EQ Reflector telescope is a favorite of both beginners and experts alike.

Orion starblast 4.5 astro reflector telescope tripod